A/N: All righty then…for those of you who are reading this and think some of it looks familiar…I'm sorry. I was doped up on cold medication while I was cutting and pasting my story together for the last chapter and didn't catch it until a few hours later. So, here we are and hopefully I'm starting to tie everything up! (in it's proper order) Only 2 more chapters to go folks! Thanks for your feedback!
February 1
Manhattan"All shooters cease fire and return weapons to safe."
"Ummm, Detective Maza?"
Elisa glanced at the fresh-faced kid that was standing in the next booth over grinning shyly at her. She dropped the empty clip from her gun, slammed another home, set it down and turned to face the Academy trainee as she pulled her earplugs out.
"Yeah?" she prompted as she watched him try not to stare at the recovering injuries that peeked out from under the large black patch she had taken to wearing now.
"Uh, Dave Nickle. I just wanted to say that it is an honor to meet you ma'am," he stammered out as he moved around the partition so he could shake her hand.
She took it hesitantly. "So you really fought side by side with the gargoyles at the Dock Wars?"
Elisa sighed inwardly. "I fought with a lot of good people that night Mr. Nickle. And yes, a few of them did happen to be gargoyle."
"Wow. And the vigilantes in New Gotham? They say Batman showed up," he asked in youthful awe.
"I never really got to meet him in all the confusion, but yes I did come across a few….citizen crime fighters like Batman," she admitted.
"That is so cool," he all but whispered. "When I was a kid I used to follow all of that stuff about the superhero's and vigilantes. Then when I saw what you and Detective Reese accomplished during the Dock Wars….I knew this was the job for me. It made me realize you don't have to be Superman to make a difference."
This sentiment didn't surprise Elisa. Ever since she started hanging around the Firing Range at the Academy, she had been made well aware of the fact that recruit applications were up thanks to the huge publicity the department had received the last few weeks. She had moved beyond celebrity status to living legend, and it wasn't something she was comfortable with.
She forced a gentle smile. "Look…Dave, you obviously have a good heart, and your motivation is in the right place. But being a cop is rarely what they've been hyping it up to be these last few weeks. It a dirty, ruthless, and most of the time thankless job. We're overworked, not paid near enough for the risks we take on a daily basis, and most of the time the media is hanging us out to dry instead of praising us. In a few months all this will be forgotten and they'll be picking apart the next screw-up we make."
"I know what I'm getting into," he insisted.
"How old are you?"
"Twenty-one last month ma'am," he told her reluctantly.
Elisa reached up and pulled her patch off. Several others were now listening in on the conversation, and she heard the sharp intakes of air as she revealed the healing injuries along the side of her face. "Take a good look Recruit. I signed on at your age and told my dad the exact same thing. I never imagined the hell I would see over the years out on the streets. None of us can even talk about what we went through when the Towers came down. But even that didn't prepare me for what I went through in the Dock Wars. I lost a part of me that night…something I will never get back," she told them, her voice starting to grow rough with emotion.
The room was deathly silent, and out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her partner had entered the room and was silently observing her little speech. "So as you continue through your training, ask yourselves this: Are you willing to lay everything on the line if it comes down to it one of these days? And I'm not just talking about your life because that's the easy part. I'm talking about friends, family, relationships, your health. At any given moment, one or more of those things could be jeopardized because of the oath you will take when you graduate. Think about that before you take that oath ladies and gentlemen," she told them quietly as she replaced her patch and turned away from the group.
The silence ensued for a few moments more before the Range Sergeant called for everyone to reload and aim. Elisa checked the safety on her weapon, realizing Dave hadn't moved back to his partition yet. "Yes Mr. Nickle?"
"I lost everything a long time ago too," he told her quietly. "You'll move past this. I know a lot of people see me as some kid who doesn't know what he's getting himself into. But I do, and it's worth the risk. Because if people like us don't take a stand for the people who can't defend themselves, then the bad guys win."
Elisa's head turned towards the side slightly, and the Recruit could just barely make out the faint smirk that was her trademark. "You're gonna make a good cop Nickle. Try not to get yourself killed anytime soon kid," she told him before she looked back at the target and aimed her weapon.
His thousand-watt smile said it all.
Four hours later……"Hey partner, your aim is getting worse not better. Why don't you knock off for the day? I mean my arm is about to fall off and I'm not the one nursing injured ribs and stuff here."
Elisa glared at the target, and wanted nothing more than to take a flamethrower to it. She hadn't even come close to a kill shot in the last couple of hours. The few that had come within the kill range earlier had been mostly out of pure luck. Compensating for her damaged eyesight was proving far more difficult and frustrating that she had initially hoped. Of course with the way things had been going in her life for the last few years she shouldn't have expected anything less.
"Come on Elisa," Matt encouraged. "Give it a rest for the evening and let's go get something to eat."
Her shoulders slumping in defeat, Elisa shook her head as she began packing up her equipment. "I just want to go home Matt."
"You want a ride?"
Another reminder of her limitations. She would have to re-qualify for her driver's license now too. "Thanks but I think I'll walk."
"Are you kidding? It's like thirty degrees out there and you live five miles from here."
"I'll be fine Matt," she told him tightly, as she jammed the rest of her gear into the duffle.
"Elisa this is crazy. Not even the criminals are out there right now," he tried to reason with her.
"Damn it Matt would you get a clue! I don't want your help. I don't want anyone's help ok! I got myself into this mess I'm going to find my way out of it! So quit trying to coddle me like everyone else. And quit showing up at my house uninvited, because I know what all of you are doing."
Matt just stared at her in shock. Then she watched as a crimson flush crept up his neck. "Fine!" he shouted back at her. "You want me to be blunt with you, well here it is. Get over yourself! He's dead and he's not coming back. There's nothing you could have done and the sooner you get that through your goddamned thick skull the sooner you can move on with your life. Goliath and his Clan were dealt a life-changing blow a thousand years ago, and yet they woke up here in our city and decided to make the best of the life they were condemned to live here. You aren't the only one to go through this and you certainly aren't the last. So suck it up and deal!"
Now it was Elisa's turn to stare at him in stunned silence. It was a rare thing to see Matt loose his patience with anyone. But to have it directed at her in full-force was a new experience for her in all their years together as partners. The range was silent once more, as the few people in the massive room gawked at the two partners.
As the silence stretched on, his words finally sank into Elisa's stunned mind, and something deep down snapped. All the anger, frustration, and pain boiled up to the surface and found an outlet. Her fist connected with his jaw faster than anyone would have thought possible given her injuries.
In the end it took three other officers to haul her off Matt, and she struggled in their grasp as the two glared at each other. "You bastard!" she spat at him.
"You need help Elisa," he told her sadly, as he pulled his shirt straight and wiped the blood off his lip. "I lost one of my best friends last month, but I can't stand here and watch you self destruct. If you don't find some way to deal with this, then you can find yourself another partner."
Elisa froze, and they stared hard at each other before he shook his head and walked away.
Behind the one-way glass in the observation booth, two figures stood watching the scene silently. "She's off the streets."
"But-,"
"I'm sorry Captain, but she's become too much of a risk to the department. Bring her to my office tomorrow morning for a meeting."
"Sir, Maza's lost a lot right now…if we take this away from her…"
"I'm not firing her Maria. The Chief is recreating the Gargoyle Task Force- only this time it will be run by the gargoyles. They will need a CO they can trust that will show them the ropes. The Chief and I both agree that Maza would be perfect for the new position. She'll be working closely with them still, can keep the same shift, and will still be kept busy with the work she'll have cut out for her. It'll be an honor really. Bypassing several steps to be promoted to Captain…the youngest at that. She'd be a fool not to accept it."
Maria Chavez looked back at the injured detective and watched as the stubborn woman shook off the other officers as they relaxed their grip on her. Elisa shouldered her bag with a wince, and then stalked out of the range. "I hope she feels the same way too Commissioner," she told him sadly. "Because if she doesn't, it scares me to think what she might do once she realizes we're taking her job away."
Elisa was about halfway home, when she was beginning to regret her decision to walk home. Sure the frigid air had provided a welcome burn to her lungs for the first mile or so. It had certainly helped to cool her down, and maybe even clear her mind a bit. But after the second mile, her ribs were beginning to protest under the weight of the bag, and the pain in her leg was progressing from stinging to throbbing.
"So have you cooled off enough to let me offer you a ride the rest of the way or am I going to have to order you to get in the car?" a voice called out, as a familiar car slowed up next to her.
Elisa halted, rolled her eyes, but limped over to Maria's car and got in without any protest. "Thanks," she mumbled as Maria reached over and helped her with the seatbelt when her frozen fingers fumbled to latch it securely.
The two women lapsed into silence as Maria drove them the rest of the way to Elisa's apartment building. When they pulled up, Maria put a hand on Elisa's shoulder to stop her exit. "Elisa, what Matt said back there.."
"Great, you saw that?" Elisa groaned.
"I wasn't the only one," she told Elisa with a troubled look. Then she shook her head moving on. "What he said, was right, though he shouldn't have said it quite in that manner. I've been where you're at Elisa," Maria told her honestly. "I didn't get to where I am now without help. It wasn't easy to admit it to myself but when I finally did, and got the help I needed, I was able to move on with my life. Your pride will only get in the way here Maza."
"Is there like some kind of book all of you have read up on that your quoting out of?" Elisa asked, her voice laced slightly with sarcasm.
"No we're all just hoping that if you hear it enough it'll get through that damn thick head of yours," Maria told her seriously. She removed her hand from Elisa's shoulder and looked back out the windshield.
Elisa opened the door. "We're going downtown tomorrow. Commissioner wants us in his office at nine sharp so have your dress blues on."
"The Commissioner? Why?"
Chavez paused, and Elisa didn't like the fact that Maria refused to look back at her. "He and the Chief want to talk to you about the new Gargoyle Task Force they're going to create for the Clan."
There was a moment of silence, and Elisa had a sinking feeling as she watched her Captain stare out the windshield. "Alright. I'll be in your office at eight."
New Gotham
Wayne Manor
"Ah, thank you Alfred," Bruce said gratefully as he accepted the large mug brimming with strong coffee.
"Burning the midnight oil again sir?"
"Just looking over at some of the details to this business deal with Destine and Xanatos."
"Where's Miss Helena?"
"I gave her the evening off. Reese managed to get a free evening and I know she's been upset about how little time they've had together lately. Besides, she's read this entire thing through and knows more about it that I do."
"There is little deterring Miss Helena once she sets her mind to something," Alfred chuckled. "How are things progressing with you and Miss Destine? I assume she's not trying to take over your company anymore."
Bruce sat back and watched the older man carefully, under the pretense of sipping his coffee. "No she's not. So tell me, did you know that she has a secret identity as well?"
"You mean that she is a gargoyle named Demona at night? Yes, I was made aware of that fact by Mister Goliath and Detective Maza during their stay with us."
"I saw you speak with her during the wake after Goliath's funeral."
"Indeed I did Master Bruce. I made it a point to speak with everyone in attendance."
"She seemed to know you, and you've asked me about her three times in the last two weeks now. Care to enlighten me as to your interest in her?"
Alfred gave a small grin, realizing Bruce was on to him. "Miss Demona was a…resident here at Wayne Manor many years ago Master Bruce."
Bruce frowned. "I don't remember her, and I think I would remember something as extraordinary as a gargoyle living here."
"I'd imagine you wouldn't remember her Master Bruce for you were but a small child when she left. She came to know three generations of Wayne's during her prolonged stay in the safe haven beneath the manor. She was quite helpful in making some of the modifications in the more inaccessible parts of the cave, from what I was told."
"Why did she leave?"
"I don't really know for sure Master Bruce., but she distrusted humans a great deal, and she had one in particular that had been hunting her for centuries."
"Centuries?" Bruce asked skeptically.
"Miss Demona is immortal Master Bruce. Something to do with a spell cast on her by a member of the Third Race. Her enemy was not immortal, simply a family that passed it's legacy of killing gargoyles and hunting her down, from one generation to the next. She never stayed in one place too long- a lesson she learned the hard way I fear."
"In what way?" Bruce asked intrigued now.
"The Hunter would eventually find her, and it would always result in bloodshed. Many times in that of the innocent people she was with at the time. She had no desire to see the Wayne family brought to ruin by this Hunter's madness. I believe she left to protect us, though she did keep in touch with your father from time to time. I'll never forget when she returned here one night, after your parents had been murdered."
Bruce was surprised by the suddenly troubled look on his old friends face. "What happened?"
"You were already asleep, and I was retiring to my quarters when I heard a knock at the door. She asked if it was the Hunter, and I assured her it wasn't. She looked relieved for but a second, and then her eyes filled with glowing hatred. She swore that it was a waste of life and humans knew nothing except how to kill. I asked if she wanted to see you, but she simply shook her head and coldly told me that you would grow up to be another hunter. I think that was the night she truly gave up on humans Master Bruce."
Bruce was quiet for a moment. "In a way she was right Alfred."
"Yes, but you never crossed the line the Hunter, or Miss Demona herself crossed. Not even when that which was most precious was taken from you and you had the chance to avenge her death."
"After all these years, I still wonder if I had made a mistake in letting him live," Bruce admitted quietly.
"Master Bruce, you walk a think line. To kill out of self-defense is one thing. To kill for revenge is another."
"And what of Reese? He killed her when she was unarmed Alfred." He was still having trouble with that.
"Detective Reese is an officer of the law, and as such is allowed a little more freedom when it comes to taking another's life if there is a viable threat to himself or others. He will most certainly have to deal with his own feelings on the matter, quite possibly for the rest of his life. However, in this case, I believe Detective Reese was acting out of the best interests of those he cared for and not out of revenge. Had it been revenge, he could have taken action against Harley Quinn a year ago."
"What of Helena? She walks the line even tighter than I do?"
"Miss Helena is guided by her instincts to survive. But with Miss Barbara and Miss Dinah by her side, she's been able to control that animalistic side of her that controls her most dangerous impulses. Don't forget, it was Helena who kept Miss Barbara from delivering the killing blow the Quinn during their first encounter. They look out for each other as it should be, for no one is infallible Master Bruce."
"Point taken Alfred," Bruce chuckled.
"Shall you be needing anything else for the evening Master Bruce?"
"I'm good Alfred. Thank you."
"Then I believe I'll retire for the evening."
"Good night Alfred."
"Good night Master Bruce."
Helena's apartment……
"You slept with that noise?" Jesse asked his bedmate.
Helena grinned in the dim light as she rolled over to face him. "Yeah, well it isn't always this loud. But there's something soothing in the steady beat of the bass."
Jesse tilted his head to the side, listened for a minute. "I guess in a weird, demented way there is," he said finally. Then he grinned. "The plus side of this, is you get to make all the noise you want and no one will ever notice."
Helena found herself distracted by the hand that was tracing lazy patterns on her bare stomach. "Oh yeah," she sighed happily. "Tell me you have the rest of the night off," she almost begged.
His lips found hers in a searing kiss. "I've been a good boy and was given an entire night off," he responded gratefully.
"Damn…..I was just getting to like the bad you too," she said with a mock pout.
A strange look crossed his features, and he suddenly rolled away from her. "Hey…I was just joking Jesse. What's wrong?"
He pulled himself up to rest against the headboard as he sighed. "It's just, I shot Quinn you know. And well, it's like I'm this hero for doing that. It makes me uncomfortable because I can just see Dick cringing every time I get a pat on the back for taking out Quinn."
"Reese…Jesse, you did what you had to do, because it's your job."
"What if I didn't have to shoot her? Your dad was right…she was unarmed."
"Quinn didn't have to be armed to be dangerous, or did you forget how she got control of me?" Helena asked bitterly. "That woman was a menace to society, and quite frankly even Barbara- good wholesome Barbara- is glad she's gone. Jesse, you can't keep second-guessing yourself on this. You did what you thought was right at the time, and armed or not, Quinn was still a viable threat to you and everyone else there."
"I just don't think it's right to be gloating over the death of a person."
"Are you gloating?"
"Well no…but,"
She was straddling his lap, a finger over his lips before he could finish his sentence. "Sometimes, actions need to be taken that not everyone can take. Barbara, Dinah, my dad, and myself follow the no-kill policy because it's not our job to decide who lives and who dies. But it is yours. You have that authority, and sometimes you are forced to decide between a criminal's life and that of general public. You have to play judge, jury, and executioner in the blink of an eye, and don't have the luxury to take a time out and think about it. When you were up there and you saw Barbara like she was, and you saw Quinn trying to escape, what did you feel?"
"I was afraid. I was afraid she had killed Barbara and that would send you over the edge again. That she would escape and come back to ruin your lives further and who knew how many other people. I couldn't let her get away with that Hel. It had to end."
"Did it feel like the right choice?"
"Yes," he answered more firmly.
"You've got a good heart Jesse….and I believe you made the right choice. Now enough shop talk," she murmured as she nibbled on his lower lip. "I think we were talking about making lots of noise?" she asked with and arched brow when she leaned back slightly.
He dangled a pair of handcuffs. "So I guess you don't want me to break these out then?" he grinned.
Her smile was positively indecent. "Mreowrrrrr," she purred as she lunged forward to claim his mouth.
Manhattan
NYPD Headquarters
"Detective?"
Elisa stared ahead, not really seeing anything- or hearing anything either for that matter.
"Detective Maza?"
Had someone sucked all the air out of the room? Because, she was definitely having a hard time breathing.
"Elisa, breathe," a familiar voice coached from somewhere nearby.
Elisa blinked as a glass of water was pressed into her hand and she looked at it in confusion before time finally resumed. She looked up at Maria Chavez, who wore an expression of concern and deep sadness. Then she turned her attention to the four men seated in front of her. She set the glass down hard and sucked in a deep breath.
"I'm sorry," she began, trying to think clearly. "Did you just tell me that I'm losing my job?"
"Far from it Elisa," the Chief answered, trying to calm the storm he knew was brewing. "You're being promoted Detective. To Captain, no less."
"Then I respectfully decline the promotion sir."
The Chief shared a look with the three other top brass assembled in the room who all shook their heads. Clearing his throat, the Chief looked back at Elisa. "I'm sorry Detective Maza, but this offer is non-negotiable."
"I'm one of the best street cops in this department! How can you do this to me?" she demanded angrily.
"Because you've also become a liability to this department Elisa. Granted, we as your Commanding Officers accept partial responsibility for that. It is Department Policy that any officer who undergoes any type of stressful or traumatic experience is to be sent to a therapist for consultation," the Commissioner explained calmly as he looked down at the file in front of him. "You've been shot twice, been sent to hospital a dozen other times for serious other injuries, just barely made it out of the Towers before they fell, and survived one of the bloodiest weapon's raid in this and New Gotham's history. Not once have you asked or been ordered to seek any type of help in dealing with such tragedies.
"When those guns hit the street, you became obsessed. To the point that you began breaking department policy, bent the law, and nearly cost this department millions of dollars in lawsuits for excessive force used during interrogations. The only reason your own Captain even let you stay on this case was because your contacts seemed to be the only ones who could turn up anything on the HQ's."
"Look I'll get whatever help you want me to get," she told them. "But please….don't take this away from me."
The Commissioner gave her a sympathetic look. "Elisa you have been one of the most promising officers this department has had in a long time. You've done your tour of duty in the trenches, think about everything you can show and teach all of these kids by accepting this position," he tried to reason with her, sincerely.
"With all due respect sirs, I worked my ass off to get where I'm at now," she told them stubbornly. "This is what I know and this is where I can best serve the department. My record speaks for itself. I mean, yeah, maybe in another few years I'd be happy to step up in rank, but not right now. If you take me off the streets then you might as well put a gun to my head, because there is no way in hell that I'm going to spend the rest of my days on the force driving a desk and pushing papers."
There was a long silence, as she glared at each of her commanding officers. "I'm going to give you one last chance to accept this offer Detective," the Commissioner told her in a grave voice after a minute had passed.
Elisa was on her feet instantly. "So that's it? Take your offer or lose my job?. This is this thanks I get? 'Thanks for your service, but you're too much of a risk so we're going to stick you behind a desk from now on.' God you people make me sick. You have no idea what I sacrificed that night for this city," she spat at them vehemently.
"On the contrary Elisa," the Chief told her quietly, a sad look in his eye. "We know exactly what you lost that night. Which made this decision even more difficult for us, but all the more necessary."
Elisa stared at them in disbelief for a moment a deathly silence filling the room. Then she turned on her Captain. "You told them!"
Chavez shook her head. "No, but when they confronted me about it, I was obliged to confirm what they had already suspected Elisa."
Elisa closed her eye and grit her teeth as everything in her world narrowed to one single emotion. Anger. Anger for the seeming betrayal. Anger at the fact that she was about to loose the one thing in her life that still meant something to her. Anger that she was helpless to do anything to stop it. Anger that Goliath went and had to play hero that night and left her here alone to live in this hell.
Blood roared past her ears, and for a moment all she could hear was her own harsh breathing. Then something deep within her snapped. She ripped her badge off and hurled it across the room, and watched with grim satisfaction as it sank into the wood just beyond where the Commissioner sat. She yanked her gun out of it's holster and slammed it on the table. "Consider this, my answer to your….offer," she told them in a cold emotionless voice.
No one spoke as she straightened, and then stormed out of the office. Several seconds of silence stretched out as the room's occupants tried to figure out how things how spiraled so quickly out of control. "We're making a huge mistake here," Chavez whispered finally.
"We're risking an even bigger one if we put her back out on the streets Captain."
Chavez's look made it clear she didn't agree with them one bit. With a quick word to excuse herself, she too exited the office and chased after Elisa.
Elisa slammed through the doors of the Department's Downtown Headquarters and welcomed the cool blast of air that began to chase away some of the suffocation she had begun to feel. "Elisa wait!"
Elisa spun around, and the anger quickly reared back up. Without thought, her hand swung out and connectedly solidly with Maria's cheek with enough force to bring passers-by to a halt. "How can you let them do this to me!" she screamed at the woman she had once thought of as a friend. "How could you betray me like that!" she demanded.
Maria was silent for a moment, unable to answer in the face of such hurt and fury. "I gave my heart and soul to this job and this is what I get! Christ, you've known me since I was in diapers Maria! You were supposed to have my back….be my friend! Of all people in that room, you more than anyone else really and truly know what I've sacrificed over the years for this department…for this city. And you just sat there and let them take it all away from me."
Tears were now running down the furious woman's face as she finally let out the anger and frustration that had been building for years now.
Maria Chavez was not one to back down easily though. "I fought this with every ounce of power I had Elisa! I tried to call in every favor owed to me, but they wouldn't budge. You're right, I do know what you've given up for this city, and I knew what this would do to you if they took you off the streets. I tried to fight this Elisa. Don't you dare tell me that I just rolled over up there and let them do this," Maria snapped back, her voice thick with emotion as well.
The pain was suddenly back in Elisa's eyes as she seemed to deflate slightly. "You told them about Goliath? Did you even think about the consequences that could have for me?" she asked in a betrayed voice.
"Elisa they already knew about…" she glanced around seeing the interested bystanders and yanked the younger woman towards her car. As soon as they were inside, Chavez rounded on Elisa again. "They already knew about your relationship with Goliath. I have no idea how, but when they were questioning me about it, it was obvious they were testing to see if I would cover for you. And consequences be damned I did cover for you because I know what it's like to have a relationship judged just because people can't understand it. I'm in a lot of hot water for trying to cover up for you Elisa. Once they made it clear that they knew I was lying, then and only then, was I obliged to tell them the truth."
Elisa's anger finally fled, the tears continued silently, and she looked out the car window blankly. "What am I going to do now?" she whispered, sounding lost and scared.
Chavez sighed. "Elisa you're a smart woman. I know you'll have something figured out in no time. But maybe it's for the best that you take a break for a while. Get some things straightened out in your head. I'm going to make sure you'll receive your pension, and that you continue to receive benefits from the department until you've recovered from this whole ordeal. This department and city owe you that at the very least."
"God what am I going to tell my dad?" Elisa groaned as she brought her hand up to massage the throbbing growing in her skull.
"To be honest?" Maria began hesitantly. "They'll probably be happy that you've decided to quit. I can't tell you how many times I've heard them both express how worried they have been that I'd show up on their doorstep one night telling them you were killed. Funny thing was, you're mother never worried about your dad." She was thoughtfully silent for a second before she allowed herself a quiet, wry chuckle.
"But then your father never really tried to take on the mafia, corrupt billionaires, hate mobs, or magical creatures bent on destroying humanity or this city." She was rewarded with a snort. It was something. "Elisa, I know how much this job meant to you. Don't let it destroy you, because there is still so much more you can do with your life. All those things you've sacrificed over the years….maybe it's time you started living a normal life again and experience a few of those things," Chavez encouraged gently.
Elisa was quiet for a while as she continued to stare vacantly out the window. Maria started up the car and headed back towards the precinct. When they were only a few blocks away Elisa reached for the handle while they sat at a red light.
"Elisa?"
"I need to think."
"Elisa it's freezing out there. At least let me take you home."
"I'll be fine. I- I just need to go somewhere and clear my head," Elisa insisted as she got out of the car and began to button up her heavy coat. She stuck her head back inside. "I'm sorry for what I said back there Maria…I-."
"It's ok Elisa. I understand," Maria told her gently.
Elisa nodded. "Thanks. I just want you to know, that you're not to blame- and I sincerely believe that."
Before Maria could respond to that, Elisa had shut the door and was disappearing into the crowd. A feeling of dread passed over the Captain as she digested Elisa's words, and she quickly pulled over to jump out of her car, intent on finding her friend. But the raven-haired woman had vanished amongst the throngs of humans that were braving the frigid weather. Several minutes later, Maria Chavez slid back into the driver's seat. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and stared at it, before finally pushing a button.
"Hello, you've reached the home of Peter and Diane Maza. Sorry we missed your call but please leave a message at the beep."
Maria sighed deeply, and then cleared her throat as the machine beeped. "Hi…it's Maria. Listen, something important came up today and I since I have a feeling Elisa's not going to talk to you about it any time soon I think you should know. Please call me back on my cell as soon as possible- I don't care what time it is. Talk to you soon."
Elisa walked, not really knowing where she was going, her mind nearly as numb as her body. It was at least an hour later judging by the fact that the sun was reaching its zenith, when she stared up at the memorial that was erected at Ground Zero. Memories of that day flooded her mind, and merged with the fresh memories of a more recent ground zero that she had lived through. Unable to withstand the emotional onslaught, she collapsed onto a nearby bench and dropped her head into her hands as the sobs came.
Normally, in New York, citizens would pass by a sobbing woman without a second thought. But here, at the Memorial, it was a completely different story. Curious visitors paused to watch the grief stricken officer, wondering whom she had lost. Residents however, would slow up to rest a comforting hand on her shoulder. They knew that while she may have lost loved ones or friends when the towers came down, it was the survivor's guilt and memories that were plaguing her right now.
Nearly an hour later, Elisa was still slumped over on the cold bench, staring blankly in front of her, oblivious to the world as her mind constantly replayed every nightmare in her life over and over, trying desperately to stop them. The morbid images continued until her mind simply shut down, unable to process or cope with the tragedies that she had suffered silently through over the last few years, and had culminated in the death of the one person she had dared to open her heart to. Had it not been for the timely interruption from a young boy, she may have continued to sit there until she had quite literally frozen to death.
"Did you lose some one too?" a small voice asked, in a near whisper.
Elisa blinked, drawn out of her mindless state, and simply looked at the child, unable to voice any reply.
He didn't seem to mind, sensing that she wasn't in the mood to talk. But as a child, that didn't phase him, and he simply continued to talk. "I lost my mom when they came down," he confided to her. "Daddy says that someday I won't miss her as much. I know he says that to make me feel better, but sometimes at nights…I'll hear him cry or talk to her. I don't think I'll ever stop missing her."
"The pain never goes away," Elisa told him in a hoarse whisper. The boy blinked, startled. It was probably the first time anyone had told him that. "Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying," she continued harshly.
He frowned at the ground, thinking about that. Then with childlike stubbornness he shook his head and looked back up at her. "Sure it can. It's just like any other time we get hurt. Sometimes, like grandma, we get hurt real bad and never heal from it. But at least it doesn't hurt as much as when we first got hurt. We just have to let someone fix us."
With the boy's words ringing in her ears, Elisa did something she had never done in her life. She fled.
Owen Burnett paused in the hallway as a faint noise caught his attention from nearby. With Fox and Alexander away from the castle for the afternoon, and David tied up in board meetings for the day, there should have been no one else in the residences. He quickly moved down the hall, and traced the source of the noise from the room Elisa typically used when she stayed overnight at the castle.
The door was slightly ajar, so the blonde major domo swung it open all the way the reveal Elisa sitting on the bed, wearing her dress blues, and stroking Cagney. "Detective," he greeted blandly.
Elisa shook her head. "Not anymore Owen," she told him hoarsely.
Owen frowned, and it was one of the few times she had actually seen him caught off guard. "I quit," she explained shortly.
He moved a few paces closer. "Elisa, since you woke up, you've been determined to get back onto your feet and back to your job, at the risk of your own recovery. What prompted such a decision?"
"They were pulling me off the streets. They called it a promotion," she told him with a bitter laugh. "Screw all my hard work, loyalty, and sacrifice, it all boils down to the fact that the feel I'm too unstable to continue doing the job. Their terms were non-negotiable, either take their offer or lose my job."
"I was under the impression that you would most likely be assigned to work with the gargoyles as they are incorporated into the department. Would that not be a suitable arra-"
"Don't even say it," Elisa broke in harshly, as she stood up from the bed and brushed past the blonde aide. Owen fell silent as she stared out the window, trying to see past her own marred reflection. "I failed them in the worst way possible Owen. Goliath sacrificed his life for me that night. All of the pain they try to hide away every night is because of me. I was in this way over my head and I knew it from the start. But the one thing I had sworn to myself when this all began, was that I would do whatever it takes to protect my family and the people I care about from this threat. I never stopped to think that they would need to be protected from me as well," she told him dismally.
"Had I known Goliath would have shown up at the docks that night. That he would have lost his life trying to protect me. I would have never brought the Clan into this mess. I would have found another way. Damn him," she whispered harshly, as she wiped at the fresh tears that began to form.
"Elisa," Owen began, in a voice that bordered on sympathy. He has stepped closer to her, and was unprepared for the sudden attack that left him dazed on the ground. "Damn him for not realizing that I'd never be able to bear the guilt of his death," she whispered softly as she dropped broken vase she had broken over his skull.
A sympathetic look came over her face as she watched him struggle to rise, only to slump unsteadily back to the floor. "I'm sorry Owen," she told him sadly as she reached for the handcuffs that were still inside her belt pouch. "I didn't know you would be here, but I cannot allow you to stop me."
She watched as his eyes widened slightly, comprehension dawning on his face as she rolled him onto his stomach and cuffed his hands behind his back. The iron in the cuffs immediately began to curb any struggle he had left in him, but Elisa made sure he could not escape by tying his feet together and securing him firmly to one of the bedposts. She gagged him, watching as his eyes began rolling back into his head, and rested a hand on his shoulder briefly.
"Don't blame yourself for not stopping me. But the cycle of pain has to stop. Please tell them I'm sorry…God I'm so sorry," she whispered hoarsely as her eyes closed in pain.
When she opened them, Owen was slumped over, unconscious. She stood and moved over to the window where she allowed herself to freely weep for a few minutes longer as she watched the sun dip lower on the horizon.
BREAK
She stood before the large mirror, making minor adjustments to her dress uniform, before she reached out and placed the cap on her head. After another minute of fussing with it's placement, she donned the white gloves and stared at the image that was reflected back at her. An image that no longer reflected the woman she had once been.
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She never dozed at work. Why she had nodded off at her desk this time she would never fully know, however when she jerked awake, a sense of terror had filled her heart as images from her dream replayed themselves in her now alert mind. Hurry! A voice whispered desperately in her mind. One that had been on the fringes of her dreams and nightmares these past two weeks. One that she had been trying to avoid since his death. She couldn't explain why or how that voice spurred her into frantic action. All she knew was that she needed to get to the castle….soon.
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Glancing out the window she took note of the sun's quickening decent along the horizon and looked over her room one last time. With a final smoothing of her dress jacket, she gathered up the small stack of letters on her desk, leaving only one behind on the desk and then quietly exited the room. It was time.
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She drove like a woman possessed. Which perhaps wasn't far from the truth, she reflected at a much later time. However, as she glanced at the sun's position in the sky, and then at the grid locked traffic ahead of her, she realized she wouldn't make it in time if she didn't do something drastic. So she abandoned her now unmoving vehicle and began to run, ignoring protests and bewildered looks, as she closed in on her target still several blocks away.
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A numb feeling had settled in her body hours ago…perhaps even days ago. So as she began her slow climb up to the courtyard, she took no note of any pain or discomfort to her still healing injuries. She merely noted that it was with some stiffness that she bent over to place a letter in front of each Clan member, placing a small stone on top of the envelopes to keep them from blowing away in the approaching evening's breeze.
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She ran almost blindly, cursing the heeled shoes that were slowing her down. She finally halted her mad dash, to briefly rip off the offending footwear, and then began pounding down the crowded street barefooted at a much faster rate. Instinct alone guided her, for she saw nothing but the images that kept replaying in her mind from the dream.
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As she placed the last letter before the stone form of Angela, she paused to take in the girl's frozen features. A trembling hand reached out, and she rubbed her knuckles across the young woman's stone brow. "You've got your mother now sweetheart. Be strong and don't ever give up," she whispered fiercely as a single tear tracked down her cheek before she withdrew her hand and turned to look up at the parapet that towered over the small Clan. His Parapet.
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Panic was now pounding in her chest as she realized how dangerously low the sun was. By The Dragon she had to get to the castle! She couldn't be caught out here amidst this sea of humanity when the sunset. She turned a corner, and a small noise of relief escaped her throat as the massive abode of Xanatos towered before her, with the Clan's ancestral home perched atop. She redoubled her efforts, and nearly broke the heavy glass doors off their hinges as she slammed through them at full force. A couple of security guards attempted to stop her, but her momentum and desperation easily threw the startled men off as she bolted for the elevators. Luck was on her side, for the doors were just beginning to close when she jumped into them and punched in the security code that would take her up into the castle.
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"Sir there's been a security breach."
Xanatos frowned. Why was he hearing this from his security chief instead of Owen? For that matter, where was Owen? "What's the situation?" Xanatos asked pushing a button on his desk. His bookcases slid aside, revealing a wall of security cameras, and he began typing in commands.
"Just a single female sir." There was a slight hesitation. "I...I think it was Ms. Destine, Mr. Xanatos, but she went through here so fast that we didn't get a good look at her. Whoever it was, she was pretty desperate to get up to the castle. Shall I stop the elevators?"
Xanatos called up the elevator cameras, and was met with a surprising image of a very disheveled Dominique Destine occupying one of the elevators. "No, it's ok. I'll handle things from here. Did you inform Mr. Burnett of the situation?"
"We tried sir, but we were unable to reach him, so we called you immediately."
"I see. Carry on then."
Xanatos eyed the agitated redhead, noting just how close to sunset it was, as he quickly began scanning through all of the cameras. Something was going on, and he didn't like the feel of it. Demona was cutting it too close to her transformation for a random visit, Owen was missing, and…..what the hell was Elisa doing up on the castle parapets in her dress uniform?
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She climbed the last step, and closed her eyes for a second as painful memories threatened to overwhelm her. When she had finally forced the agonizing emotions down enough that she could see when she opened her eyes, she walked out onto the flagstones that she had journeyed across a thousand times. She had not come up here since his death however, and it struck her just how much she missed the view. Moving over to one side, she glanced down at where the others were poised in their stone slumber across the courtyard. She stared at them for a minute before limping around to the other side, the one that dropped off the edge of the castle to the city streets far below.
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Xanatos took in Elisa's formal clothing, the set of her shoulders, and the somber expression the cameras had picked up when she had faced the courtyard. When she limped over to the far side of the parapet however, a pit began to form in his stomach. He looked back at Demona, who was now stumbling out of the elevators, and watched as the first tremors of her transformation started to overcome her.
"Xanatos…..I know your watching and listening…stop her….you've got…to stop her…." And then the words were cut off as a sharp gasp of pain brought the human to her knees as the transformation began to morph her body back into her true form.
Xanatos was already out of his office by the time her first scream echoed through the castle.
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It was so peaceful up here. She had missed this…missed sharing this moment of peace with him. Their lives had been a living hell these past few years, but she would have her peace with him soon. Her city was safe now, and the Clan was safe. They had found a foothold in this world- hopefully a solid one- and had human allies that would watch over them as she once had. As the sun began to dip below the horizon, she nodded to herself. She had fulfilled her duty to them, and with luck their race would begin to flourish again as humanity took the first steps in accepting the gargoyles and they in turn took steps to unite themselves.
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He ran down the stone hallway, turned a corner at full speed and almost lost his footing before he caught his balance. A priceless suite of armor clattered along the stones as he pushed off it in his attempt to keep on his feet, but it was of no concern to him as he wished for not the first time, that he had a smaller home.
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She screamed as bones began to break and re-align, yet she still pushed herself back to her feet to stumble further down the hall. But as her feet began to reform, she lost her balance and collapsed to the ground grunting and writhing in agony. Her vision wavered as she briefly noted that she was in front of the massive library doors, and then her flesh was brutally ripped open as she gave birth to the bony spurs on her knees, elbows and brow.
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The first cracks echoed through the air from below, and she pulled herself up onto the wall, now able to see the Clan from this vantage point. A soft smile touched her lips as the cracks grew and small chips began to fall from their bodies. The breeze was now picking up around her, and after one last look down at amazing beings that were emerging from their stone slumber, she turned to welcome the coming night.
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Damnit, she locked the door to the tower! Turning, he began to backtrack down the hallway, and skidded around another corner, before taking the steps leading to the courtyard three at a time. He threw open the exterior door and was greeted with the familiar sounds of stone shattering as the Clan woke. Heart pounding, the billionaire rushed out into the courtyard and spun about to peer up into the growing darkness at the woman that was now balanced precariously on the edge of the castle.
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The wind was whipping up fiercely now- almost angrily she mused. She closed her eyes, raised her arms, and could almost feel herself flying in his protective hold once more, as strong air currents raced through her hair and against her face. And then suddenly everything in her life faded away. There was no more pain. No more guilt. No more sadness or longing. She had finally found peace.
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He watched in horror as she began to teeter forward. "ELISA NOOOOO!"
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The immortal threw herself at the massive doors, they gave, and she crawled inside, even as the flesh on her back began to bulge.
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She saw the note at her feet the instant she had broken free, and was reaching to pick it up when Xanatos' desperate shout snapped her head around. She saw him collapse to his knees, chest heaving and looking helplessly upward. Her own eyes were drawn up to her father's tower, and then widened in terror.
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She teetered forward, and the wind shoved back against her. She smiled wryly, eyes still closed, feeling Him all around her. "It's ok," she whispered. "I don't expect you to catch me any more." And then she fell into the welcoming arms of the night.